'Honey Boo Boo' Cast Salary Claims Refuted by June Shannon: 'We're Very Well Compensated'
June "Mama" Shannon, mother of the famous Honey Boo Boo Child, has spoken out about reports that her family was only paid $2,000 per episode. While she refused to name a specific amount, possibly due to her contract with TLC, Shannon did say her family was "very well compensated."
Reports of the "Honey Boo Boo" casts' salary came to light yesterday, with the small amount of $2,000 shocking some fans. Yet those reports have been refuted by Shannon, who spoke with TMZ about the money and her family's sudden rise to fame.
"For every person that's hating on us, there's three people that love us," Shannon explained. She may be right, given that "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" has enjoyed immense success in the ratings, even toppling last week's Republican National Convention.
"A lot of people relate to us," Shannon went on to say. "It's weird that haters know more about our show than our amazing fans." Many people criticize Shannon for exposing her daughter, Alana, to so much attention and benefiting from her appearances in pageants.
Another criticism, of course, is the use of Go-Go Juice- a concoction of Red Bull and Mountain Dew that Shannon gave 6-year-old Alana before a pageant competition. Parents were shocked to see that much caffeine given to a small child, and were even more surprised and perhaps horrified to see Alana running around and spinning on the floor in order to burn off the excess energy.
Many of the parents of "Toddlers & Tiaras", which is where Alana got her start, simply want their children to be on TV and gain national attention, which leaves TLC available to dictate the salaries of the tiny stars.
"'Toddlers & Tiaras' does not pay their kids. They survive off of finding unique stories that draw in viewers. They don't even pay for the families' entry fees into the pageants. But the moms do it because it's good exposure for their little girls, and that's exactly what they want," an anonymous source told Radar Online.
